


That Great Big House Out on the Cape

by huffellepuff



Category: Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, cheesy fluff, more relationship adjacent than ABOUT the relationship exactly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-08 21:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14703024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huffellepuff/pseuds/huffellepuff
Summary: Emmett takes his mom house shopping under the guise that he's buying a house for himself. His mom, of course, believes he's buying it for himselfandElle.





	That Great Big House Out on the Cape

**Author's Note:**

> A few days ago, speedmifune/matthewbroderick/whatever his current tumblr url is texted me, "imagine for Mother’s Day, Emmett surprises his mom with That Great Big House Out On the Cape" and then this happened.
> 
> I have never been to Cape Cod. I decided to disregarded logic. I don't know jack about fancy houses or, really, buying a house. However, I HAVE overheard my roommate watching many, many episodes of Fixer Upper, so i _do_ know what shiplap is. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

“You’re buying a _summer home_ on the _cape_ …?” his mom asked, eyeing him skeptically.

“Well, now that the Callahan case is done, I’ve finally got some money saved up and it seemed like, um, a good investment.” Emmett tried to sound convincing, since his entire plan revolved around his mom believing that he would actually want a house like this for himself. “Isn’t this what successful lawyers do?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t seem like something _you_ do, successful or not.” 

“Being practical with my money is something I do,” he said, rolling his eyes. “And like I said, it’s a good investment for the _future_.”

His mother’s face lit up in that knowing, motherly way that always made him a little nervous. “Oh, for the future?”

“...yes?”

“Like your future with a certain beautiful blonde woman I may know…?”

Oh, of _course_ that’s where she was going. He wasn’t about to lie about that, but given that she never paid any attention to his protests, she’d go right on believing this was about finding a house for himself _and_ Elle. And for once, that’d work in his favor - no way she would think the house was actually for her. Still, protest he must.

“Mom, we’ve talked about this. Elle is still a law student.”

“But you’re not.” 

“Yes, but because she is, we barely have time to _date_ , let alone think about anything else yet.” This was a complete lie, of course, but telling his mom about his proposal plans - which were still a couple of months away - would be asking for trouble.

“ _Yet_ ,” she said, grinning at him. “You can’t fool me, Emmett.”

He suppressed a smile. “So, will you come with me?”

“Yes, I will help you look at houses. For your _future_.”

 

\---

 

Emmett had made an appointment with a realtor to view three different houses that weekend. He had already narrowed it down significantly - nothing so big that she couldn’t take care of it herself, because she’d never allow him to hire her a housekeeper, but still something way nicer than anywhere she’d ever lived. She seemed to buy his cover story, but he was still nervous she might figure out the truth, given that she was definitely going to ask _at least_ a million questions.

Sure enough, from the moment he picked her up to the moment they got to the first house, she had already asked approximately _half_ a million questions. Why Cape Cod? (Because it’s a lovely place and real estate only seems to appreciate there) Had Elle visited the cape before? (Yes) Did she like it? (Yes) Did he consider moving other places, perhaps California? (No - or at least that’s what he told her, since in this case, he only considered the cape as a place for her to live, not himself) Why isn’t Elle coming along? (Because she’s a busy student) Do you think it’s a good idea to shop for a house without your future wife along? (No, good thing this wasn’t for his future wife, given that he currently does not have a future wife) etc.

When they got to the first house, the realtor was already waiting.

“Hello, Mr. Forrest, and,” she paused, looking at his mother. “Who is this with you today?”

“This is my mom, Elizabeth. And please, just call me Emmett.”

“You got it,” she said, grinning in that overbright realtor manner. “Elizabeth, my name is Bridget Saunders, and I will be helping your son find the perfect house today.”

Emmett had already briefed her on what they were actually looking for, and was thankful that she seemed to remember to keep it a secret.

“Perfect for him _and_ someone else.”

“Oh?” Bridget looked at him questioningly.

“My mom has it in her head that I need to be shopping with my girlfriend in mind,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But please ignore that.”

Bridget shrugged as she led them in. “Just let me know what you need as we go along, and we’ll make it work either way. Now, this is a five bedroom, four and a half bath home - ”

“Perfect for a growing family,” his mom said casually, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Or a growing library.”

“For whatever your needs may be, these rooms will suit them, I’m sure.” Bridget smiled. “Now, let’s look at the main living space - notice the open concept floor plan. Perfect for multi-tasking and staying a part of whatever may be going on, whether that’s gatherings or child-rearing or even just watching television while you cook. And just look at those high, vaulted ceilings, aren’t they beautiful?" 

They walked into a massive room with hardwood floors, shiny appliances, and very modern furniture for the staging.

“It’s awfully...empty feeling, isn’t it?” His mom asked, looking around the room and frowning.

“Well, when your own - your son’s belongings, I mean - are moved in, it’ll be sure to feel homier. And the view out those windows, you can just see the water from here - truly gorgeous.”

His mom leaned towards him and whispered, “Can you imagine having to clean those giant windows every day? And the heating bill would be crazy, all that cold glass and those high ceilings…”

“Hmm.” Emmett tried to remember if the other houses had either of those features. He hoped not. At least she was speaking her mind, though, it would make deciding on things a little easier. But in the meantime, he just had to keep going and hope she didn’t catch on. “Should we check out the bedrooms?”

Bridget led them through the bedrooms and he tried to be subtle about the fact that he cared more about his mother’s reaction than the rooms themselves. Overall, it was a very modern house, and it appeared that that was not to her taste.

“Now, the master suite is particularly lovely,” Bridget said, leading them into a bedroom that was bigger probably bigger than his entire apartment. “It’s spacious and, if you look at the attached bathroom, there is a lovely jacuzzi tub.”

“Oh my, how relaxing. Or exciting, for a couple…” his mom said, winking at him.

He grimaced. “ _Mom_.”

“And is that a walk-in closet?” She hurried towards the closet, eyes bright. “It’s so big! I bet this would hold up to Elle’s wardrobe even.”

“It’s not _for_ Elle’s clothes.”

“I never said it was.” She shrugged. “I’m just saying it _could_ fit them. I’d kill for a closet like this.”

“Seems a little big for my needs,” he said. He could tell this was not the house for his mom, but he was glad to have even that little bit of extra information about what she _did_ want.

“Em, you’re looking at homes on the cape, they will all be bigger than you need. Your clothes barely even fill up a regular closet.”

“Still.”

“Well, in that case, shall we go on to the next house?” Bridget asked.

 

\---

 

The next house was even bigger than the first, though the inside at least seemed a little less daunting.

“This foyer leads to all of the main areas in the house. On your right, the living room, straight ahead, the staircase to go upstairs to the bedrooms and offices, and on your left, the dining room and kitchen.”

“Imagine having a foyer, how fancy,” his mom said, grinning at him.

As they walked into the living room, she looked a little more appreciative. “See, now this feels more welcoming. I think the carpeting makes a difference.”

“Aren’t hardwood floors supposed to be nicer?”

“Maybe they’re supposed to be, but it’s just so cold. And even if this is a summer home, cold feet is certainly something to think about in Massachusetts. Elle is from California, I bet she gets cold feet - the actual kind, not the metaphorical kind, I mean.”

Emmett sighed. “For the millionth time - “

“I know, I know, the house isn’t for Elle. But she’s sure to come here if you buy it, right?”

“I mean, yeah,” he said, because she technically was right. Elle had come with him to visit his mom several times already.

“Just food for thought,” she said, still grinning as she walked into the next room.

As they toured the house, his mom continued to needle him about all of the ways this house could be perfect - or fall short - for him and Elle. While he tried to ignore the comments and focus only on the parts that gave away what his mom wanted in a home, he couldn’t help but think about what he _would_ look for in a future home with Elle. Like, she really _would_ need some pretty impressive closet space, and he’d want a good room to be a library - but not an office because he knew he didn’t need any encouragement to take his work home, and so on.

“And the kitchen is a little snug, I suppose that was less of a priority for the original owners that built the house, but it has all granite countertops and state of the art appliances.” Bridget led them into a kitchen that sure didn’t look snug by Emmett’s estimation, but was indeed smaller than the last.

“It’s nice, but...” She frowned. “It _is_ a little small.”

“Looks huge to me,” Emmett said, laughing. This was at least twice the size of his mom’s kitchen at home, what was she even talking about?

“If you’re going to have a house this fancy, why wouldn’t you have a kitchen big enough to prepare an actual fancy meal?”

“I guess that’s a fair point, but - ”

“Not that _you_ would be preparing said meal.” She smirked at him and whispered to conspiratorially to Bridget, “He almost burned the house down trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner.”

“That was one time, mom, and it was over a decade ago.”

“One time too many. Does Elle cook?”

“I...yes, well, sort of,” Emmett said. They’d been working together on trying to learn to cook actual meals. “But I _can_ cook too.”

“If you say so, dear. Now, how many more houses are we looking at today?”

“Just one more,” he said. Hopefully, one more is all it would take.

 

\---

 

They followed Bridget to a smaller home a couple of neighborhoods away. Sneaking a glance at his mom, he got a good feeling about it - she seemed to perk up as soon as they pulled into the driveway.

“What a beautiful front garden! I always wished we had a yard to do real gardening in.” She got out of the car and immediately went to inspect the flowers that lined the walkway.

“This is a more modest home, only four bedrooms and a small pool house, but it’s got a lovely ocean view from the bedrooms,” Bridget said as she led them inside.

They walked through a much smaller foyer than in the previous house and into the living room. The walls were off-white and covered in what he could best describe as planks, but nicer looking that that sounded.

“Em! This room has _shiplap_ ,” she said, squeezing his arm.

“Ship what?”

“Haven’t you ever watched HGTV?”

“Um, no?”

“Shiplap is what’s on the walls and it is _perfect_ for a house by the sea,” she said excitedly. “Now _this_ feels more like a home. And look at that fireplace!”

“Your mom is right, this home definitely has the feel of a down to earth, cozy seaside home - but with all the modern amenities, of course,” Bridget said, and Emmett could tell she already felt confident about a sale coming. “And, the shiplap is in every room.”

His mom’s eyes lit up as she walked into the next room, leaving Bridget and him behind.

“Now _this_ is a kitchen!” she said as he walked in. She was opening cabinets and drawers. “There is so much storage space, and look at this island! I’ve always wanted an island in my kitchen. Maybe with all of this room, you’ll actually be able to learn some proper cooking. With a fire extinguisher ready at hand, of course.”

His mother’s excitement was palpable and contagious. She barely even had time to make remarks about him and Elle this time, she was so focused on all of the things she loved about the house, but he still couldn’t help but view everything through that lens. 

They walked into a large room, with a small staircase that led up to an alcove, complete with window, and both he and his mother stopped talking entirely. It was by far the coolest room he’d ever seen and suddenly, he could perfectly imagine being a kid, climbing up there to have to the perfect reading nook/fort/whatever it needed to be. He could imagine _his_ kids, whoever/whenever they may be.

“This would be a perfect playroom for the kids,” his mom said.

“Yeah,” he replied faintly. It didn’t even occur to him to object to her assumption. This house really _was_ perfect - someday, if he and Elle had kids (which he really, really hoped they would), he just knew they would _love_ coming to grandma’s house.

His mom smirked and he felt himself blush. “I mean, this would be perfect if I have kids someday, which is entirely theoretical.”

“Uh-huh.”

They finished the tour of the house by going out to the back, where there was a “modest pool house” next to the pool and hot tub. One glance at his mom told him that this was, without a doubt, the right place. Still, he couldn’t give away the plan until everything was settled.

“Well, Bridget, thank you for your time,” he said. “All of the houses were great, and I, uh, need some time to think about it.”

“You have my card, just let me know when you decide,” she said, glancing at his mom. “Just don’t wait too long, I wouldn’t be surprised if these places got snatched up pretty quickly.”

“Time to think about it?! I don’t know what you could possibly need to _think_ about.” His mother looked at him as if he had suggested burning the house down, not taking time before making a huge financial decision. “This house has everything - walk in closets, nice bathrooms, the perfect library, a pool, fireplaces, _shiplap_.”

“So I take it you like the house?” He laughed.

“Of _course_ I like it.”

“Well, we’ll see.” He shrugged and led them back to the car, with her complaining all the way about how foolish he was not to snap up that house immediately.

 

\---

 

About a month later, everything was signed and in place. Emmett officially owned his mother’s dream house - with the help of a hefty, but manageable (he couldn’t _believe_ what he could consider manageable now), mortgage. He and Elle had spent the entire last weekend making sure everything was perfect and, just in time, the house was ready.

“This is, like, the biggest Mother’s Day present I’ve ever been a part of,” Elle said as they pulled up to his mom’s place. “I’m so nervous!" 

“You think you’re nervous?” Emmett said, hoping he wasn’t actually sweating through his suit. 

“She’ll love the house, Emmett,” she said, placing a hand on his. “I mean, hello, she already does. She’ll just love it even more when she knows it’s hers.”

“I sure hope you’re right.”

His mom came outside, and Elle got out to switch to the backseat. They hugged each other before getting into the car and Emmett felt, as he often did, overwhelmingly grateful for the fact that the two most important women in his life got along so well.

As soon as his mom sat down, she asked, “Okay, so now that it’s officially Mother’s Day, where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” he said, grinning at her.

They chatted on the way there. Emmett and Elle had visited her enough times that all of the initial awkwardness was long gone, even if she continued to hint at weddings and grandchildren. She did this before they were even officially dating, so it was at least more appropriate now that they’d been together for almost two years. Elle had always handled it like a champ.

When he took the exit towards Cape Cod, the chatter died down and he could sense his mom become still next to him. “Emmett, where are we going?”

“So, Elle, did you remember to call your mom yet today?” he asked, ignoring the question.

“Of course not, it’s like 7am there. It’s not polite to call anyone before 9am at the earliest.” He glanced back in the rear view and saw Elle rolling her eyes at him.

“I always forget about that time difference.”

“ _Emmett_ ,” his mom said again, this time using her Serious Mom Voice. “Did you buy a house?”

“It’s possible,” he said, trying to suppress a grin.

“Is it _the_ house?”

“What house?”

“You know very well what house, the perfect house!”

“Oh, the really big one?”

His mom hit him in the shoulder.

“Hey, I’m driving!” he said, laughing. Fortunately, they were only about a block away, or he might not have been able to avoid actually answering.

“I swear to god, Emmett, if you bought the house and you didn’t even tell me - ” He pulled into the driveway and she gasped. “You did, didn’t you? You bought the perfect house!”

She practically jumped out of the car before he could even finish putting the car into park.

“Here, these might help,” he said, tossing her the house keys.

They followed her to the door. He was overwhelmed by a worry that she’d somehow be mad at him, no matter how happy she was right now. As if she could read his mind, Elle squeezed his hand and whispered, “It’ll be fine.”

His mom opened the door and walked into the foyer, where they had hung a sign that read “Welcome Home, Mom.”

“Welcome home?” she asked, eyeing him warily. “You mean, to your home?”

“No, mom, I mean to yours.” He held his breath as he watched her reaction go from confusion to something he couldn’t quite read. “Surprise?”

“You bought me a _house_?!” she practically yelled.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Elle said, jumping in with all of her positivity, though she shot him an uncertain look.

“You bought me...a house…”

“I bought you a house.”

Emmett couldn’t be sure exactly what she said after that, as she was crying so much it was basically unintelligible. But the fact that she was grinning and hugging him seemed like a good sign, and he was pretty sure that whatever she said had ended in “my future grandchildren.”

Once she had begun to calm down a bit, Elle stepped in, flashing her a grin. “So, Elizabeth, why don’t you show me around your new house? I haven’t seen it yet.”

“Elle,” she said, still sniffling. “It has the _most_ beautiful shiplap, wait until you see it.”

**Author's Note:**

> find me at cleophila.tumblr.com (or, probably, amaliabalash.tumblr.com because I'll probably change it back soon enough)


End file.
